PESHAWAR: Security forces in Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province killed at least 17 terrorists in an operation against the militant groups, officials said Friday.
The raid was carried out in the Darsha Khel area of Karak district, near the border with Lakki Marwat, following reports about the presence of terrorists, District Police Officer Shehbaz Elahi told WE News English.
“In the operation conducted by the police and security forces following reports about the presence of militants in the Darsha Khel area of eastern Karak, 17 TTP militants have been killed and a large cache of weapons has been seized,” Elahi said.
“A clearance operation was ongoing, and we have reports that more dead bodies of the militants are lying in the hilly area,” he added.
An administrative official from Karak confirmed the operation and told We News that two key hideouts of a terrorist group were destroyed in the operation. Three security personnel were wounded, the official said.
Counterterrorism Drive Intensifies
Pakistan has intensified counterterrorism operations in its northwest and southwest regions, targeting groups involved in recent attacks. Authorities say the ringleaders and facilitators of these terrorist networks are based in Afghanistan and enjoy support from India.
Officials have repeatedly warned Kabul to decide between harbouring such elements or fostering stable ties with Islamabad. According to security assessments, Afghan nationals have been involved in several recent attacks inside Pakistan, prompting calls for their early repatriation.
Pakistani authorities maintain that there will be “zero tolerance for ambiguity” in the country’s fight against terrorism, vowing to dismantle networks threatening national security.
